Industrial Data Monitoring for Threshold-Triggered Maintenance Orders

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial automation systems face inefficiencies in manually creating and submitting work orders for maintenance tasks, leading to errors and potential risks due to the reliance on human observation of performance indicators.

Innovation Solution

A system that automates the creation of work orders by monitoring industrial data from gateway devices and using cloud-based industrial information hubs to determine when performance issues arise, sending instructions to work order management systems to initiate maintenance tasks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual observation and creation of work orders is used, then human operators can identify performance issues, but errors and potential risks occur due to reliance on human observation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of work order creationVSAvoidautomation of work order creation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service automation where the work order management system automatically monitors industrial data, detects performance issues, and creates work orders without human intervention. The monitoring component continuously analyzes data from gateway devices and triggers automated work order generation when thresholds are exceeded, eliminating manual observation errors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements closed-loop feedback by continuously monitoring industrial data and automatically comparing it against predefined thresholds. When performance issues are detected, the system provides feedback by generating work orders that are sent back to maintenance personnel, creating a continuous cycle of monitoring-detection-action that improves reliability over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If automated monitoring and work order generation is implemented, then efficiency of maintenance scheduling is improved, but system complexity increases due to integration of multiple components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveefficiency of maintenance schedulingVSAvoidcomplexity of automation system
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into distinct functional segments: gateway devices for data collection, monitoring components for analysis, work order management systems for task creation, and notification systems for alerting personnel. Each segment performs a specific function independently, which simplifies implementation and maintenance while achieving high overall productivity through their coordinated operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The work order management system serves multiple functions: it monitors industrial data from various sources, analyzes performance metrics against thresholds, generates work orders, sends notifications to personnel, and tracks maintenance status. This multi-functionality consolidates what could be multiple separate systems into one universal platform, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of time

If real-time data monitoring is performed, then timely detection of performance issues is achieved, but data processing requirements and system resource usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime to detect performance issuesVSAvoidcomputational resources for data processing
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system applies partial action by focusing computational resources only on critical performance parameters and predefined thresholds rather than analyzing all possible data points. The system monitors only the specific industrial data parameters that are relevant to performance issues, reducing unnecessary computational overhead while maintaining timely detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring threshold values and alert conditions before deployment. This allows the monitoring component to quickly compare incoming data against predetermined criteria using simple threshold checks rather than performing complex real-time analysis, significantly reducing computational resource requirements while maintaining rapid response time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4152227A1Industrial machine monitoring path for computerized maintenance management system
Publication Date: 2023.03.22 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECH INC
  • EP4152227A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4152227A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4152227A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An industrial information hub (IIH) serves as a single industrial ecosystem platform where multiple participants can deliver repeatable and standardized services relevant to their core competencies. The IIH system can interface with a work order management system to facilitate automated creation and submission of work orders for maintenance tasks. To this end, the IIH system can monitor real-time data from industrial devices and identify conditions indicative of a performance issue requiring a maintenance action. When such a condition is identified, the IIH system can initiate creation of a work order in the work order management system for tracking and recording of the maintenance task.